Search Tips3D System Nodes: From Classic to New
This guide is a quick reference for users transitioning from the Classic 3D System to the New 3D System. It provides a comparison of nodes, matching them by equivalent function and purpose.
To learn more about each node’s controls, click the node name in the table to access its Reference Guide page. Additionally, this table includes links to further guides containing basic implementation examples which may help in learning how to integrate the nodes into your workflows.
Geometry | Lights | Shader | Modify | Cameras & Tracking | Utility | Rendering
| Classic 3D System Node | Equivalent New 3D System Node | Notes | New 3D System Guides |
| Geometry | |||
| Card | GeoCard | Creating Geometry Prims | |
| Cube | GeoCube | Creating Geometry Prims | |
| Cylinder | GeoCylinder | Creating Geometry Prims | |
| Sphere | GeoSphere | Creating Geometry Prims | |
| DepthToPoints | GeoPoints | Creating Points Clouds | |
| ModelBuilder | No equivalent node | ||
| PointCloudGenerator | GeoGeneratePoints | ||
| PositionToPoints | GeoPoints | Creating Points Clouds | |
| PoissonMesh | GeoPointsToMesh | ||
| ReadGeo | GeoImport, GeoReference | To learn more about the difference between GeoImport and GeoReference, see Importing into Your Scene. | |
| WriteGeo | GeoExport | Export From Your Scene | |
| Lights | |||
| Light | GeoEditLight | GeoEditLight allows you to create or edit USD lights. To work with nodes more similar to the Classic System, see the nodes in the rows below. | Light Your Scene |
| Point | PointLight | PointLight's USD equivalent is SphereLight. In the New 3D System, you can also use the native USD node for this, GeoSphereLight. | |
| Direct | DirectLight | DirectLight's USD equivalent is DistantLight. In the New 3D System, you can also use the native USD node for this, GeoDistantLight. | |
| Spot | SpotLight | SpotLight's USD equivalent is DiskLight. In the New 3D System, you can also use the native USD node for this, GeoDiskLight. | |
| Environment | EnvironmentLight | EnvironmentLight's USD equivalent is DomeLight. In the New 3D System, you can also use the native USD node for this, GeoDomeLight. | |
| Relight | No equivalent node | ||
| Shader | |||
| AmbientOcclusion | ScanlineRender |
In ScanlineRender's Advanced tab, under Integrator you can switch into Occlusion mode. Make sure you are using the correct ScanlineRender node. The New 3D System's ScanlineRender node has the same name as the Classic node, but works differently. In the node menu select 3D > 3D, not 3D > 3D Classic. The New node will appear in your Node Graph as ScanlineRender2. |
|
| ApplyMaterial | GeoBindMaterial | Using GeoBindMaterial to Assign Materials | |
| BasicMaterial | BasicSurface | BasicSurface: Shader Usage | |
| FillMat | FillShader | FillShader: Cut Out | |
| MergeMat | MergeLayerShader | MergeLayerShader: Merging Shaders | |
| BlendMat | No equivalent node | ||
| Project3D | Project3DShader | Project3DShader: Projecting Textures | |
| Diffuse | BasicSurface, MtlXStandardSurface | BasicSurface: Shader Usage | |
| Emission | MtlXStandardSurface | ||
| Phong | No equivalent node | There is no specific Phong equivalent node, but similar effects can be achieved using |
|
| Specular | ReflectiveSurface | ||
| Displacement | No equivalent node | ||
| UVTile | No equivalent node | There is no specific UVTile equivalent node, but there are UV options on ScanlineRender. | Rendering in the New 3D System |
| Wireframe | WireframeShader | WireframeShader: Applying Wireframe Overlay | |
| Transmission | ReflectiveSurface, MtlXStandardSurface | ReflectiveSurface: Generating Reflections | |
| Modify | |||
| TransformGeo | GeoTransform | Transformations in 3D Scenes | |
| MergeGeo | GeoMerge | Merging 3D Data | |
| CrosstalkGeo | No equivalent node | ||
| DisplaceGeo | GeoDisplace | Manipulating Geometry Data | |
| EditGeo | No equivalent node | ||
| GeoSelect | GeoSelection | Using Geometry Data | |
| LookupGeo | No equivalent node | ||
| LogGeo | No equivalent node | ||
| Normals | GeoNormals | Using Geometry Data | |
| ProceduralNoise | GeoNoise | Manipulating Geometry Data | |
| RadialDistort | GeoRadialWarp | Manipulating Geometry Data | |
| Trilinear | GeoTrilinearWarp | Manipulating Geometry Data | |
| UVProject | GeoProjectUV | Projections in the New 3D System | |
| Cameras & Tracking | |||
| Camera | Camera, GeoCamera, GeoEditCamera |
How you are using USD will affect your workflow. Read the Working with Cameras in the New 3D System guide to understand the difference between these nodes. The New 3D System's Camera node has the same name as the Classic node, but works differently. In the node menu make sure to select 3D > 3D, not 3D > 3D Classic. |
Working with Cameras in the New 3D System |
| CameraTracker | CameraTracker | This node is shared between the Classic and New 3D Systems, but make sure to uncheck the Classic 3D checkbox in the Properties panel for use with the New 3D System. | |
| DepthGenerator | DepthGenerator | This node is shared between the Classic and New 3D Systems. | |
| DepthToPosition | DepthToPosition | ||
| Utility | |||
| Axis | Axis | The New 3D System's Axis node has the same name as the Classic node, but works differently. In the node menu make sure to select 3D > 3D, not 3D > 3D Classic. | Using Axis Node in Your Scene |
| Scene | GeoScene | New 3D Scene Basics | |
| Rendering | |||
| ScanlineRender | ScanlineRender | Make sure you are using the correct ScanlineRender node. The New 3D System's ScanlineRender node has the same name as the Classic node, but works differently. In the node menu select 3D > 3D, not 3D > 3D Classic. The New node will appear in your Node Graph as ScanlineRender2. | Rendering in the New 3D System |
| RayRender | ScanlineRender |
The ScanlineRender node now has ray-tracing. Make sure you are using the correct ScanlineRender node. The New 3D System's ScanlineRender node has the same name as the Classic node, but works differently. In the node menu select 3D > 3D, not 3D > 3D Classic. The New node will appear in your Node Graph as ScanlineRender2. |
Ray-tracing with ScanlineRender |
| (Renderman) PrmanRender | No equivalent node | ||
| (Renderman) Reflection | ReflectiveSurface + ScanlineRender | The Reflection controls are no longer Renderman specific. | Ray-tracing with ScanlineRender |
| (Renderman) Refraction | ReflectiveSurface + ScanlineRender | The Refraction controls are no longer Renderman specific. | Ray-tracing with ScanlineRender |
| (Renderman) ModifyRIB | No equivalent node | ||
